Dasyproctus niger Binoy, Santhosh & Girish Kumar, 2021

Binoy, C., Kumar, P. Girish & Santhosh, S., 2021, Review of Indian Dasyproctus Lepeletier & Brullé 1835 (Hymenoptera Crabronidae) with description of four new species, Zootaxa 4991 (3), pp. 467-498 : 485-487

7. Dasyproctus niger Binoy, Santhosh & Girish Kumar , sp. nov.

( Figs 73–82 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E3881FCF-DE81-4606-90CA-BC92EFFC6E81

Diagnosis. The new species can easily be identified by very scarce yellow markings on the body, distinct body setae, a prominent tubercle above the antennal torulus, an almost truncated clypeus with a conspicuous median longitudinal carina and a distinct, reticulate, semi-circular depression at the anterior margin of Gt 2. The new species comes close to D. opifex Leclercq in his 2015 key to Asian and Oceanian Dasyproctus in overall appearance and in having the mandibles and terga immaculate, scape with basal pale ivory spot which extends towards apex ventrally, dorsum and mid ventral margin black; punctation on frons, no depression beyond IOC. D. leclercqi sp. nov., however, differs from D. opifex in having: fu 2 –fu 4 cylindrical (in D. opifex fu 2 –fu 4 are prominently arched); mesosoma entirely black except for pronotal lobe with ventral whitish yellow spot ( D. opifex has two spots on the pronotal collar, entire pronotal lobe, axilla and spot on scutellum anterior angle yellow); frons with conspicuous furrow beyond IOC, almost reaching anterior ocellus (in D. opifex frons with distinct yet superficial line).

Description: Holotype ♂ ( Figs 73–82 ). Body length 6.0 mm; fore wing length 3.35 mm.

Colour. Body matt black with following parts variously coloured: scape pale yellow, dorsally brown, brown band expanding medially, remaining antennomeres brown with paler apical edge on pedicel and fu 1, mandible black, reddish apically, pronotal lobe pale whitish ivory with dorsal brown spot, all trochanters and femora deep brown, fore and mid tibiae brown with pale whitish ivory patch ventrally reaching apex, hind tibia brown with faint pale whitish ivory patch basally, all tarsi yellowish brown with basitarsi paler ( Fig. 73 ).

Pubescence. Thick silvery bristles on clypeus, comparatively fainter setae on outer sides of scapal basin, above IOC and on gena; longer pale brown setae on vertex; scattered long setae on pronotum, mesoscutum, mesopleuron and scutellum, propodeum with long white setae; legs with moderate setae; Gt 1 with longer setae at base, remainder of metasoma with thicker and stouter brown setae.

Head. As seen from above transverse, 1.73 × as long as wide ( Fig. 77 ); mandible bidentate with identical teeth; clypeus markedly setose with surface well-hidden below thick silvery bristles, apico-medially produced forward, weakly emarginate, slightly bevelled, distinct median carina, reaching apical margin; antennal toruli almost touching one another and almost touching inner eye margin; scapal basin densely rugose reticulate with prominent tubercle just above antennal torulus; IOC conspicuous medially, obsolete at inner margin of eye; distinct carinate longitudinal grove above IOC running towards anterior ocellus; frons matt, with well imprinted setigerous pits ( Fig. 75 ); vertex with similar sculpturing, gena with minute setigerous punctures; fine transverse furrow just before occiput; supra orbital furrow indistinct; POD 1.3 × OOD ( Fig. 5 ); scape with two carinae ventrally; relative lengths of scape: pedicel: flagellomeres I to XI (last) = 10.9: 2.8: 2.3: 2.4: 2.1: 1.8: 1.9: 1.4: 1.6: 1.4: 1.5: 1.1: 1.8.

Mesosoma . Pronotum with conspicuous transverse fold dorsally and several rugulae laterally; pronotal collar with lateral corner angulate, medial notch indistinct, conspicuous medio-posterior bordering ridge, anterior carina on inconspicuous dorsally; mesoscutum and scutellum finely granulose with well-impressed setigerous micropunctures; lateral mesoscutal margin carinate, posterior margin finely sinuate; scutellum with a few setigerous micropunctures, apical margin coarsely foveolate; metanotum rugose, not separated from propodeum ( Fig. 78 ); propodeum with coarse conspicuous rugae, interspaces smooth; hind femur basally angulate, as wide as basal width of Gt 1; hind tibia with three stout spines; mesopleuron and mesosternum matt with distinct setigerous micropunctures ( Fig. 79 ); fore wing moderately setose and with brown tinge ( Fig. 80 ).

Metasoma. Petiolate, with Gt 1 stout, width at stigmata narrower than width of hind femur; all terga matt black, immaculate ( Fig. 82 ); Gt 1 2.9 × as long as wide, anterior third polished with faint striation, remainder matt with very few setigerous micropunctures; Gt 2 with prominent transverse semi-circular finely reticulate excavation adjoining anterior margin ( Fig. 81 ).

Female. Unknown.

Prey. Unknown.

Etymology. The species name, niger , is a Latin masculine adjective meaning black, depicting the overall black colour of the species.

Distribution. India: Tamil Nadu.

Material Examined. Holotype ♂, mounted on triangular card, India: Tamil Nadu: Coimbatore dt., Anaikatty , SACON (11°05’33.9”N 76°47’13.0”E, 540m), 28.xii.2018, Coll. P.M. Sureshan & party, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV.16510.

Figures

FIGURES 73–80. Dasyproctus niger Binoy, Santhosh & Girish Kumar, sp. nov. Holotype ♂. 73. Habitus, lateral view; 74. Head, lateral view; 75. Head, frontal view; 76. Clypeus; 77. Head, dorsal view; 78. Mesosoma, dorsal view; 79. Mesosoma, lateral view; 80. Fore wing.

FIGURES 81–82. Dasyproctus niger Binoy, Santhosh & Girish Kumar, sp. nov. Holotype ♂. 81. Gt1 & Gt2, dorsal view; 82. Metasoma, lateral view.

FIGURES 1–8. Dasyproctus agilis (Smith) ♀. 1. Habitus, lateral view; 2. Head, dorsal view; 3. Head, frontal view; 4. Clypeus; 5. Mesosoma, dorsal view; 6. Mesosoma, lateral view; 7. Gt1 & Gt2, dorsal view; 8. Metasoma, lateral view.